Keebler Cookies

Testimony of the Day

“Hi Maria! My husband and I (and our 3 boys mostly) have been eating sugar free and gluten free since July 29. My husband landed in the hospital thinking he was having a heart attack and it was just a severe acid reflux attack. The doctor pretty much told him that he would be on Prilosec for the rest of his life. That could NOT be right! I came home and researched and changed his diet. Anytime he has had wheat, he has a flare up. So now we are gluten free. I have always cooked from scratch and used organic ingredients as much as possible but had some trouble dropping weight since my 3rd boy was born 8 years ago. I have tried and been very diligent.

Since eating this way, My hubby has been off the Prilosec and has dropped 38 pounds. I have dropped 24 pounds and gone from a tight 16 to an 8. I still have some more to lose but the benefits beyond weight loss are amazing.

My 16 year old son had severe acne and now he only gets the occasional blemish. My chunky 12 year old son is in a smaller size pants than last year! No longer a “husky”! My 8 year old is a different kid. We had never done HFCS or food dyes or processed foods but, cutting out even “natural” sugar has been amazing for his behavior. -Kristi”

Stress Eating

Do you often have to have office lunch meetings? Do you notice you get indigestion or diarrhea after a stressful eating situation? While under stress, your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure rises, and blood is forced away from your digestive system, and moved to your legs, arms and head for quick thinking. There can be as much as 4 times less blood flow to your digestive system, which means your body cannot burn those calories as effectively and causes a sluggish metabolism.

In that state, proper digestion entirely shuts down. The issue with eating while your body is under stress is that you could be eating the most nutritious food in the world, however you won’t be able to properly digest and absorb those nutrients because there is a decreased enzymatic output in your intestines which can be as much as 20,000-fold.

During stressful situations, triglycerides and cholesterol also increase, while your healthy gut bacteria decrease. So you’re more susceptible to indigestion, acid reflux, or heartburn.

It is also to note that when your body is under the stress, cortisol, as well as insulin levels rise. Weight loss and health are all about hormone manipulation. When cortisol is consistently raised , you often have difficulty losing weight or building muscle.

If cortisol is frequently elevated, belly fat is a common external sign. What is scary about the belly fat is that this is known as visceral fat (the fat that collects around your internal organs and midsection), and we now know that this is a main contributing influence to increasing diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

My suggestion: keep the meetings at work and enjoy a little peaceful break for lunch. Also, try not to eat while stressed after an argument; instead try yoga for exercise, the blood flow is going to your extremities anyway!

To read more tips and tricks to keep your body healthy, check out my book Keto-Adapted.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, Just Like Brown Sugar, erythritol and stevia (add in egg if using). Cream for a few minutes until very fluffy. In a separate bowl mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth.

In between 2 pieces of parchment (greased parchment), roll the dough out into 1/4 in thick dough. Using circle cut-outs, cut into Samoa cookie shapes.

Place cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 17-20 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool completely on the baking sheet before removing from cookie sheet.

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water). Stir well until just melted (don’t burn the chocolate!), add in the cream, and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick. Place 1/2 the chocolate in a shallow bowl and dip the bottom of the cookies into the chocolate. Place on parchment paper. Put the other 1/2 of the chocolate in a small ziplock bag. Cut the corner of the bag and use to pipe stripes over the cookies. Makes 24 cookies.

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About Maria Emmerich

Maria is a wellness expert who has helped clients follow a Ketogenic lifestyle to heal and lose weight for over 12 years. She has helped thousands of clients get healthy, get off medications and heal their bodies; losing weight is just a bonus. She is the international best selling author of “Dairy Free Ketogenic Cooking” and “Keto.”.
Click here for Keto.:
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I am distressed by all the “alternative” sweeteners you recommend. We are a family that live with multiple food allergies, eat very healthy, organic, juicing, fasting, etc. and do not feel the need to “sweeten” barely anything. I found your name on another web-page, “Allergy Kids.” I was reading about coconut ice-cream and saw the two different sweeteners that were recommended for this recipe. I am aware that various forms of substitutes have a lower glycemic index point in regards to preventing and controlling diabetes. But when I looked up Xylitol this is what I found; The side effects of xylitol, a low-calorie sweetener and alternative to sugar, include gas, diarrhea, low blood sugar and possible abnormal liver function tests.

Read more: About the Side Effects of Xylitol | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_4598334_side-effects-xylitol.html#ixzz1jH9wG400I also noticed that you didn’t have any side effects listed regarding the sweetener. I do believe if you are going to teach people health, then teach them about not having to “sugarize” their food in order to eat it. I also understand that this particular recipe required a sweetener but I myself would much prefer something closer to nature, or should I say in its natural form. i.e. honey or maple syrup. The cravings will dissipate if we encourage healthy food without having to sweeten everything.

Maple syrup is processed in about the same way as Stevia. Maple syrup is drawn from trees as sap and them boiled down to concentrate. Stevia plants are placed in a water bath and then go through a purification process. I use Stevia in most of my cooking but because it can have a bitter aftertaste to some people I give other options. Xylitol, while more processed than Stevia, is a nature substance that our bodies are used to. The below link talks about this including the following statement.

“So, the xylitol that you can buy certainly could not be called a “raw, whole-food product”. However, that’s not the whole picture. Continuing to quote from Professor Mäkinen:

“Because xylitol occurs naturally in agricultural and forest products, xylitol also occurs in various foods used by man. The dietary sources containing relatively high quantities of xylitol are plums, raspberries and cauliflower … The presence of free xylitol in food indicates that man and certain domestic animals have consumed xylitol during their entire evolution.”

Also, our own bodies constantly produce xylitol:

“In humans, relatively large amounts of xylitol (viz. 5 to 15 g/day) are formed as a metabolic intermediate product of carbohydrate metabolism.”

As for side affects, a little gas is the only proven side affect of Xylitol (per Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol) which goes away after a couple weeks of use. I prefer this to the side affect of sugar (Honey, maple syrup, etc). The honey bear is the only animal found in nature with tooth-decay problems (honey decays teeth faster than table sugar). It also leads to Diabetes, fatty liver disease, etc.. This post talks about all the negative side affects of fructose of which honey is higher in fructose than table sugar. (http://mariahealth.blogspot.com/2011/07/carolina-bbq-sauce-and-agave-facts.html)

Also, Xylitol has known benefits including:BENEFITS:1. Reduces Cavities: It does not break down like sugar and keeps a neutral pH level in the mouth. Xylitol prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth, which protects the teeth from tooth decay. Acid-producing bacteria falls as much as 90%. After eating xylitol, the bacteria do not stick well on the surface of the teeth which decrease plaque buildup. 2. Reduces Ear Infections: It has be used as medicine in stopping bacterial growth to help prevent ear infections in young children. It also clears out excess earwax and inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria in the pharyngotympanic tubes.3. Helps with Asthma: Since asthma is linked to chronic post-nasal drip, xylitol can also help by breaking the cycle of bronchial inflammation.4. Help clear up Candida (yeast overgrowth).5. Increases White Blood Cells: Increasing immune health and protects us from chronic disease and bacterial infections.6. Protects newborns from streptococcus if the nursing mother consumes this. It is proven to help decrease this oral bacteria by 80%.7. Decrease Allergies and Sinus Infections: They now have a nasal spray made of xylitol because it decreases the harmful bacteria that gather in the cells of our nose.8. Reduces Ovarian Cysts, PCOS and Breast Cancer: Consuming sugar creates high insulin levels which increase the production of estrogens, leading to an estrogen-dominant condition, and also interfere with healthy ovarian function. Insulin resistance is a major cause of a growing hormonal problem called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Signs that the body is being exposed to higher levels of the male hormones include acne, loss of head hair, and an increase in body hair. Lowering insulin levels is crucial for not only treating PCOS but also resolving most other hormonal imbalances, including those leading to breast cancer.

Yes, I agree that eliminating the sweet tooth all together is a better option but many parents are competing with school lunches and friends that have tons of sugary HFCS filled treats and this gives them a better option. 🙂

Maria if I use splenda & pure stevia powder will the cookies be crisp? I wish i could use erythitol/xylitol/chicory root, but for some reason my body does not do well with any alcohols not even liquid stevia like NuNatural. And I do not understand why my body gets higher glucose reading with all those and not splenda. Until last year I thought splenda was “evil” but after reading J. Eloff have tried & found my blood sugar is ok with it.

Would you have any experience to give explanation why I can’t use chicory root or sugar alcohols when for most it seems very positive? I have puzzled over this for 4 years or so.

Thank you for any insight you might give. (My new book is a mess from marking so many recipes I want to try)!

Hmmm, Philis, I am not sure…but I do know when I have clients get the Splenda with maltodexterin out, they often lose 5 pounds in a week!

Sucralose, also known as Splenda, is a newer sweetener on the market. It is most well known for its claim to be made from sugar. It is 600 times sweeter than table sugar. It provides basically no calories and is not totally absorbed. In 1999, it was given approval for use as an all-purpose sweetener. It is currently found in over 4,500 products, including foods that are cooked and baked. The FDA reviewed studies in human beings and animals and determined that sucralose does not cause reproductive or neurological risk to human beings. The product Splenda is also not actually calorie-free. Sucralose does have calories, but because it is 600 times sweeter than sugar, very small amounts are needed to achieve the desired sweetness; but this is only when you use the true form (liquid sucralose). Splenda, however, is bulked-up so it can be used in place of sugar. The first two ingredients in Splenda are dextrose and maltodextrin, which are carbohydrates that are not free of calories. One cup of Splenda contains 96 calories and 32 grams of carbohydrates, which is substantial especially for those with diabetes but overlooked due to the label claiming that it’s a no calorie sweetener. Splenda has also been found to inhibit zinc and iodine from being absorbed, which are essential for proper thyroid function. It is also linked to decreasing good gut-bacteria, which will increase Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

ERYTHRITOL = Erythritol is a naturally-derived sugar substitute that looks and tastes very much like sugar, yet has almost no calories. Erythritol has been used in Japan since 1990 in candies, chocolate, yogurt, fillings, jellies, jams, beverages, and as a sugar substitute. Erythritol, is considered a ‘sugar alcohol’ and is found naturally in small amounts in grapes, melons, mushrooms, and fermented foods such as wine, beer, cheese, and soy sauce. Erythritol is usually made from plant sugars. CALORIES = 0 to 0.2 calories/gram (95% fewer calories than sugar)SWEETNESS = 70% as sweet as table sugar. Use cup for cup like sugar, but you need to add a tsp of stevia glycerite to add sweetness.

Hey Maria!
You posted this:
Keebler = 150 calories, 7g fat, 1g protein, 21 carbs, 0 fiber
“Healthified” Cookie = 150 calories, 14g fat, 2.5g protein, 3.2 carbs, 1.8g fiber
Does it matter that it contains the same calories and more fat? (Sorry for the ignorance I’m new at this)
BTW love your recipes but you use a lot of Swerve in your recipes, I’m not a big fan of the after taste. I try to cut some of the Swerve amount and I like it better, am I doing right or does it mess up the consistency of the recipe? (I’ve only made cookies and hasn’t proven to be a problem, I am not sure about anything else)

Maria, I’m new to the baking scene with these sugars. I’ve been wanting to make Christmas cookies for a cookie exchange. I’m really confused. On the back of the Just Like Brown Sugar, it lists several types. The store where I went to buy more had “Baking” Just Like Sugar and not the Just Like Brown Sugar. What is the difference between the Just Like Brown Sugar and the Baking Sugar? Is the Baking Sugar a Brown Sugar, also?
In baking, is it used for either white or brown sugar?
So, if my recipe calls for 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar, and I had “Baking” Just Like Sugar, I would use 2 cups of baking sugar? Between sugars and gluetin free, I’m learning all over again to bake.

I have a question about the Chocolate Drizzle. Is it really TEN Tablespoons of cream? I just made this but only used about 5 TBS of cream and I have a VERY fluid “drizzle”, nothing close to thick at all. I will cool it and see if it will thicken, but? The recipe doesn’t indicate any waiting time for it to thicken. Was the cream suppose to be ice cold? was the erythritol to be powdered or granular? These look great, love your website, puzzled with the drizzle.

I did this cookies today but there are very soft. I used Xylitol instead of just like sugar and 100 % Erythrit im not sure its the same like Erythritol. We live in South Africa and it is very difficult to get all healthy stuff. Maybe you have any idea why all my cookies ive baked so far are soft.

Hi! I tried making the chocolate drizzle with raw cocoa because I didn’t have any baking chocolate. It’s very bland if you only use one ounce of powder, so I kept adding until it was chocolatey, so in total I put in around 3 Oz. It still didn’t taste great so I added 1Tsp of cinnamon, 1Tsp of vanilla extract, ad 1/2Tsp of hazelnut extract, and it was delicious! Just letting you know in case you only have raw cocoa powder in the house!